How did your sound system evolve?

Yes, nice web page!

For me (less graphic):

pre-1977: the low fi years, various compact boxes making music

1977: First real hifi system, all Lafayette gear built around a 40 watt integrated amp and heil AMT speakers (and many blown tweeeters). My first real job working at Lafayette

1978-1981: My second real job working at Tech Hifi. Acquire my first real keeper speakers (OHM Ls, still got'em) and various other gear to go with it.

1982-1986: Acquire my first "dream speakers", a pair of OHM Walsh 2s and a nice Tandberg receiver to run them with. Then I become a poor grad student for a few years.

1986 - 1992 - THe Magnepan years

1993 - 2007 - Not too much changes. Add a nice California Audio Labs CD player, some decent Carver separates and various other speakers and toys to dabble with.

2007 - present - Start auditioning modern gear again and thinking its time to get really serious about this stuff. I am where I am now today and have been very happy for another few years again now.

Mine didn't evolve, it was CREATED.

Nice memory you have.
Thanks for the link.

Man, that Kenwood table sure hung in there for a long time. I remember those, very solid kit indeed!

I got started with a Heathkit AR-15 receiver, pretty solid performer. This was mated to a Dual 1229 turntable with Shure V-15 Type III cart. and some big old Jensen 6 speakers.

The Jensens were replaced with 4 JBL L-100s and the Heathkit with a monster Sansui 9090 4 channel receiver - my first multi-channel rig! The cart on the Dual was augmented with a CD-4 unit, don't remember the brand. I also got a Technics RS-676US casstte deck, pretty nice piece.

Then I went back to 2 channel with a Marantz 2270 receiver and some JBL L-65 Jubals - this combo *rocked*! The turntable was upgraded to a Dual 1249 and then a Garrard Zero-100. I kept this rig for over a decade, loved the hell outta those JBLs!

I then "downgraded" a bit, went with some Ohm Walsh 2s and an NAD 3150 integrated mated to and NAD 2150 power amp, both running in bridged mode - talk about a *powerhouse* combo, whoa! Replaced the Technics deck with an HK unit with Dolby HXPro - it made very sweet-sounding tapes.

Then began my foray into 5.1 sound: I got an HK Signature 2.0 prepro mated to an HK SIgnature 2.1 power amp - what a *great* amp. Speakers were Paradigm Studio 80s with a Paradigm CC-350 center and some Paradigm Atoms in the back. Subwoofer was an Earthquake MKIV 10" jobbie, pretty nice for the money I paid. I also scored and Oppo DV-981 and then a Denon 2910 for shiny discs. The 2910 was then upgraded to a 3910, a very good unit. My Oppo love affair was in full swing.

U then made the "mistake" of spending an afternoon at Dave Pogue's (dopogue on Agon) house and heard his Gallo Rf. 3 - holy mackerel, I hadda have those speakers!!

Spent the next 2 years finding my current speaker setup, Gallo Ref. 3.1s and Gallo Ref AVs. During that time, Dave graciously sold me some Gallo Dues for really cheap, they did center and surround duty for a coupla years. The Earthquake sub remained. And an Oppo BDP-93 replaced all the other shiny disc units - woo-hoo!!

I then retired the HK front end and amp and put in place an Emotiva UMC-1 mated to a Butler TDB-5150 tube/MOSFET hybrid amp. Life was very, very good.

Times got tough and I traded the Butler for an Emotiva XPA-5 and a fistful of cash. The Emo sounds really, really good with more punch and drive than the Butler. But it is not quite as smooth on the top end. A fair trade, IMHO.

Finally, I scored a Sherbourn 325 watts/ch. power amp to drive the Gallos' 2nd voice coils - the Earthquake is up for sale, the Gallos definitely have the bottom end covered.

And the system shall remain as such until my financial condition improves. Not a big hardship, it sounds pretty good to these old ears!!

-RW-